Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, one of the biggest storylines to follow is the new dynamic with the Los Angeles Lakers. In June, the Lakers drafted USC’s Bronny James, the son of their star and four-time champion LeBron James. At the time, reports indicated that agent Rich Paul told teams besides the Lakers they should not draft Bronny. This was a polarizing idea at the time, but it led to Bronny landing on the same team as his father. Now, a few months later, reports have indicated that there was another team that was considering drafting Bronny. However, they opted against it. That team? The Golden State Warriors.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors had interest in drafting Bronny with the 52nd overall pick. This was just three picks before the Lakers took him 55th overall.
“The Warriors liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board, sources said. Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who held the 55th pick, would’ve been a shrewd move — perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent. But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant.”
Los Angeles Lakers Rival Nearly Drafted Bronny James
What the Golden State Warriors Did Instead
Instead of drafting Bronny with the No. 52 pick, the Warriors selected Quinten Post out of Boston College. Post is a 7’0″ center who earned Second-Team All-ACC honors last season. Late in September, the Warriors signed Post to a two-way contract.
Perhaps Post’s most intriguing skill is his three-point ability. In his last year at Boston College, he shot 43.1% from beyond the arc. Furthermore, the season prior, he shot 42.6% from the three-point line. Given that he is on a two-way contract, Post is unlikely to make a big impact in Golden State right away. Additionally, he is already 24 years old. Regardless, he still has a lot of potential. Drafting him late in the second round is a low-risk move for Golden State, even if it meant not drafting Bronny instead.
The Last Word On Bronny James
With Bronny now officially on the Lakers, he and his father make up the first pair of father-son teammates in NBA history. However, it seems unlikely he will crack the team’s rotation right away. This is especially true after head coach JJ Redick‘s comments about probably running a 9-man rotation.
Here’s JJ Redick saying he envisions a 9-man rotation and discussing which guys are competing for rotation spots off the bench. He said he forgot someone when running off all the names (Dalton Knecht): pic.twitter.com/4kEqDXruvA
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) October 1, 2024
Still, putting Bronny on this Lakers team is exciting. As the 20-year-old gets more comfortable and improves, it will be worth watching to see if he can make an impact on the Lakers any time soon.
